Former Titans running back Chris Johnson announces ALS diagnosis at age 40


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Chris Johnson was a dominant running back at one point in his NFL career.

He rushed for 2,000 yards in his second season with the Tennessee Titans in 2009, en route to three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He was named the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in 2009 thanks to his statistical prowess that season.

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Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson stays on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on November 28, 2010. The Texans defeated the Titans 20-0. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)

Johnson, 40, announced a heartbreaking new battle on Monday. He said he was diagnosed with ALS.

“There is no history of ALS in my family,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “My doctors believe my case is what is called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases occur.

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“That’s one of the reasons why this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.”

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson breaks free for a long run against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California on November 8, 2009. The Titans defeated the 49ers 34-27. (Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports)

Johnson said he began to notice weakness in his right hand and that his grip had not been as strong as before.

“It has continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined. I want people to understand how quickly ALS can attack the body,” Johnson said. “A little over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter to make a wish with her birthday cake. I couldn’t do that today.”

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There is no known cure for ALS, known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is a progressive disease in which the brain loses connection to the muscles, according to the ALS Association. Those affected slowly lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, swallow and, eventually, breathe.

Johnson credited his family, including his wife Brittany, for giving him a “reason to keep going.”

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson runs against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 28, 2010. (Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports)

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The former running back played in the NFL from 2008 to 2017 with the Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.

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